DOH official who investigated local dentist resigns under pressure

The Florida Department of Health official who investigated Dr. Michael Tarver, former owner of Polliwog Dental in Ocala, has resigned in lieu of termination.

By Austin L. MillerStaff writer

The Florida Department of Health official who investigated Dr. Michael Tarver, former owner of Polliwog Dental in Ocala, has resigned in lieu of termination. His last day on the agency payroll was Thursday.

What led to Mike Knezevich’s separation from the agency was not clear Tuesday. The Department of Health said it was redacting his personnel file and would provide its contents to the Star-Banner soon.

Tarver said a formal complaint he filed against Knezevich contributed to the investigator leaving the agency.

Tarver provided DOH with what he called an “abbreviated narrative along with some related documents that will paint a picture of corruption, gross incompetence, lack of ethics, deception, possible alcoholism and general abuse of power” on Knezevich’s part.

To support his accusations, Tarver points to records from Knezevich’s former employer and from the clerk of court in Alachua County.

The DOH started investigating Tarver after it received complaints about his alleged mishandling of juvenile patients at his office, 255 SE 17th St.

In September, the DOH ordered an emergency suspension of Tarver’s license to practice dentistry based on allegations that two 4-year-old girls who had procedures done at the facility on separate occasions were mistreated. The DOH also accused Tarver of altering patients’ records.

Last month, Tarver and the DOH reached a settlement agreement to resolve his disciplinary case. It included several conditions that Tarver would have to meet.

On Nov. 15 Tarver and his attorney attended a Board of Dentistry meeting in Gainesville, where Tarver accepted the terms of the agreement and was cleared to resume practicing. Those terms included paying a $7,500 fine, reduced from the originally proposed $15,000; completing continuing education on ethics and dental record keeping; and stipulating that someone other than Tarver’s wife, with whom he was in practice at Polliwog Dental, monitor his practice.

The day before the hearing, Polliwog Dental changed its name to Churchill Dentistry, under the ownership of Tarver’s wife, Dr. Rebecca Tarver.

In the meantime, Michael Tarver filed his formal complaint against Knezevich with the DOH.

He said the DOH action caused him great harm and led to him being branded as a monster in the media. Tarver said his insurance credentials have been revoked, he lost his reputation and income, 20 staff members lost their jobs, and more than 20,000 patients lost their dentist.

“The DOH can never give back what they have taken from me,” Tarver wrote in his letter to the agency. “Furthermore, I continue to have to defend myself from his harassment (Knezevich). I believe that what has happened to me occurred directly due to the behavior of a corrupt investigator who was allowed UNCHECKED, UNAUDITED and UNSUPERVISED to serve as grand jury, judge, jury and executioner.”

In the document, Tarver questions Knezevich’s ethics and behavior while he was employed at the Gainesville Police Department.

Attached to Tarver’s document was a Gainesville internal affairs report written in May 1996. It states that in March of that year Knezevich, employed as a GPD officer at that time, was seen drinking at a wedding reception and was told by a supervisor not to drive.

But Knezevich did drive from the event and was stopped by a University of Florida Police Department officer.

Knezevich refused to perform a field sobriety test. A UPD lieutenant arrived on scene and released Knezevich and warned him not to drive. Knezevich left the area as a passenger, but not before making an obscene gesture to UPD officers, the internal affairs report states.

Knezevich denied the accusations during the internal affairs investigation. He was suspended 40 hours without pay.

Efforts to reach him Tuesday afternoon were unsuccessful.

Tarver also sent the DOH records from the Alachua County Clerk of the Court that show Knezevich was adjudicated guilty of reckless driving and sentenced to six months of probation, some community service, and ordered to pay a fine and attend DUI school.

Court records show Knezevich had another reckless driving case in 1984.

Tarver also accuses Knezevich of being a “convicted criminal” because, he says, Knezevich may have lied on his DOH employment application.

Tarver highlights three questions posed to Knezevich on that application: One asks if Knezevich has ever been convicted of a felony or a first-degree misdemeanor, to which Knezevich replied no.

The second asks if he pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to a crime that was a felony or first-degree misdemeanor, to which Knezevich said no.

The third asked if he ever had adjudication of guilt withheld for a crime that is a felony or first-degree misdemeanor, to which Knezevich said no.

Tarver also highlights a Gainesville Police Department performance review from Knezevich’s time at that agency. The review cites his “unsatisfactory performances and expected remedies.”

The review stated: “When a supervisor requests something of you that you disapprove, you may voice your opinion, but without contempt.”

A list of the expected remedies included “write a report when required” and “treat citizens and fellow employees with respect.”

Earlier this year, Knezevich underwent counseling with the DOH. A memorandum included with Tarver’s submission states that Knezevich’s behavior during the counseling “was so inappropriate, unprofessional and disrespectful that the instructor made a verbal complaint.”

It lists four examples, such as speaking loudly and disrupting the class and the instructor so much that the instructor had to move Knezevich to another seat.

During group role playing exercises, instead of participating, Knezevich went to the back, kicked his feet up, tilted his chair back and crossed his arms, the memo said.

In his own case, Tarver said, Knezevich called him many names, including liar; threatened his staffers with jail; and encouraged them to steal medical records.

Tarver said the DOH report that triggered his emergency suspension order was “massively inaccurate” and “contained scandalous and untrue allegations that were submitted to the DOH lawyers and were acted upon as gospel.”

In his letter, Tarver states that he is not going to practice dentistry any longer because his heart is broken. He plans to pursue other interests.

The Star-Banner requested a response to Tarver’s complaint and letter, but a DOH spokesman said his agency does not comment on personnel matters involving former employees.

In a four-page agreement between Knezevich and the DOH, the investigator agreed to resign on Dec. 5 in lieu of facing disciplinary action.

The agreement says he will be paid for any accrued annual leave as necessary. It also states that DOH will tell any prospective employer only about Knezevich’s start and end date with the agency, the position he held, his rate of pay, and his performance appraisals.

Knezevich agreed not to sue the agency, and the agency agreed not to contest any application for unemployment benefits.

The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or guilt by either party.